The present invention relates generally to fluid flow control valves for dental instruments and more particularly to a solenoid operated control valve wherein fluid flow is directly proportional to the voltage applied to the solenoid coil.
Control valves are widely used in dental instrumentation to control flow of fluids such as air and water to various instrumentation such as syringes and dental hand pieces. In the case of a syringe, for spraying water, air or a combination of water and air, fluid flow is usually controlled by mechanical valve located within the body of the syringe and operated by depressing a suitable lever or pushbutton on the syringe which is mechanically attached to the valve mechanism (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,988,001). It is also known to have such a mechanically operated valve incorporated into a foot switch so that flow of fluid from the syringe can be controlled at some point remote from the syringe.
Solenoid operated flow valves are also known in the dental art, but it is believed that in such cases the solenoid is merely to put a valve in the full open or full closed position. Although proportional solenoids are known, it is not believed that they heretofore have been utilized in the dental field to control the flow of fluid to syringes as in the present invention nor have such valves been constructed as the valve of the present invention.